Discharge valve for containers



Au 22, 1939. A. 1.. ANDERSON 70,3

DISCHARGE' VALVE FOR CONTAINERS 7 Filed March 18, 1957 INVENTOR 2? 32 70 24 I I 14060572]? L. A'A pcwmv Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 18,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to containers, especially designed for use in the sale and dispensing of liquors, and particularly to the provision of a discharge valve controlling the discharge of liquid from the container and preventing the refilling of the container; and the object of the invention is to provide a valve or control device of the class described in the form of a unit of simple and economical construction adapted to be inserted into and disposed within the neck or discharge end portion of a bottle or container and retained against displacement or removal from the container unless the device and/or container is broken and destroyed; a further object being to provide a device of the class described, all or substantially all of the parts of which are composed of a material which will not effect or react upon the fluid or liquid arranged in the container by coming in contact therewith, and preferably in the use of a non-metallic compound of the plastic type whereby the several parts may be readily formed in suitable dies or molds to simplify the cost of manufacturing the same; a further object being to provide a valve or control device of the class described including an unbalanced or offcentered valve element which will provide quick opening and closing action of the valve in the operation of tilting the bottle or container in discharging the contents thereof and in return.- ing the bottle to normally upright position; a still further object being toprovide a valve or control device of the class described which is so constructed as to prevent tampering therewith and to render the refilling of the container through said device substantially impossible; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction, efficient in use and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in. which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional View through a device made according to my invention, indicating in dotted lines its arrangement in. the discharge end of a bottle or container.

Fig. 2 is a section on the broken line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and,

1937, Serial N0. 131,627

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in a different position.

In the sale or merchandising of expensive liquors or other fluids, and especially in the sale of alcoholic liquors of the more expensive type, it is desirable to provide means forming part of the bottle or container to prevent refilling of the container after the contents or a part of the contents has been removed therefrom in order to give to the consumer, especially in the purchase of a portion of the contents, the assurance that the purchaser is obtaining the original product. While in the past many attempts have been made to provide valve or control devices of this type which were commonly termed non-refillable attachments, it is the purpose of my invention to provide a device of this kind which will provide to a major degree the safeguards of non-refillability while at the same time producing a product of simple and economical construction and one which can be readily attached to the container, or the neck portion thereof, of a standard or more or less standard construction, or by providing only slight changes in the structure thereof. A'device of the character described can be supplied to distillers as a completely assembled unit and readily attached to the container in the process or steps of corking and sealing the container. r

In the present construction, I provide an elongated tubular casing or'cylinder I0, the upper end of which is provided with an end wall I I having a relatively large outwardly projecting tubular discharge l2 which will facilitate pouring of the fluid into a glass or other receptacle. Secured in the other or open end l3 of the casing I 0 is aring I4 which may be threaded into the casing or cemented or otherwise fixedly secured, depending entirely upon the type and kind of material employed in the construction of the complete device. In this connection it will be understood that certain types of metals may be used which will be suitable for the purpose intended, whereas plastic compositions such for example as Bakelite or similar compounds may be used, or, if desired, the parts may be constructed from glass, clay and similar material, and may be molded, cast or otherwise formed.

The ring I has a tapered or beveled Wall [5 within the casing H) which terminates. in a fiat restricted seat l6 extending around the bore or passage I! formed in said ring and opening into the interior of the container. Movable toward and from the seat 16 is a disk valve l8 and that part of the lower'surface thereof which is exposed to the passage l! is concaved in form as seen at H), whereas the upper surface of the valve 98 is provided with an annular recess 20 centrally of which is an upwardly extending conical member 2i in conjunction with which a valve actuated element 22 is adapted to operate. The diameter of the valve 18 is considerably less than the inside diameter of the casing H] as will be seen in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The periphery of the valve is provided with circumferentially spaced outwardly extending radial ribs 23, three of which are shown, which fit freely in the bore of the casing it and serve to centralize the valve IS in said casing. The ribs 23 are of greater height than the height or thickness of the valve E8 to provide ring bearings for said valve, and the upper edges of said ribs 23 are beveled as seen at 23a in Fig. l of the drawing so as to prevent the element 22 from sticking or catching upon said edges which might tend to cook the valve l8 and to insure contact of the lower surface of the element 2 2 with the upwardly extending conical member 2|.

The concave surface IQ of the valve 18 insures a free action of the valve when the fluid strikes the same in tilting the bottle to discharge the contents thereof. The annular groove 20 forms an air pocket and also aids in maintaining the valve 58 seatedshould an attempt be made to pass fluid into the valve through the outer or upper end l2 of the attachment. The diameter of the valve l8 is equal to or slightly less than the greatest diameter of the valve seat It, thus preventing fluid from getting under the valve which might tend to lift the same should it be possible, by any chance, to have fluid pass into the attachment to this point.

The element 22 is in the form of a slightly conical body, the lower end 22a being narrower than the upper end 221) and the wall or outer beveled surface is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced recesses 23c forming correspondingly spaced ribs 22d, the recesses and ribs terminating short of the lower end 22a of the element, as will be seen upon a consideration of Fig/1 of the drawing. The element 22 forms What might be termed an unbalanced or off-centred control element which will assume the position shown in Fig, 1 when the device is in upright position and which will slide forwardly and rest upon an annular valve seat 24 when the bottle is in inverted or pouring position, whereas in the operation of returning the bottle to upright position, the contracted or small end 22a of the element 22 will drop or swing into a position substantially similar to that shown in Fig. 5 to engage the valve 18 and move the same into seated position.

The seat 24 is in the form of a ring which may be secured in a position intermediate the ends of the casing ll! in any desired manner. The upper end of the ring has a large straight bore or passage 24a, and at the lower portion of the ring, the bore or passage istapered outwardly as seen at 24b so as to provide a free flow of the liquid around the contracted lower end 22a of the element 22 through the grooves 220 thereof, and thus through the bore Zeb-2 5a and around a plug valve 25 for discharge through the tubular discharge 12. The seat 24 checks the outward movement of the element 22 but the outer or upper endof the seat or ring 24 is provided with a seating surface 240 which forms the seat proper for the plug valve 25 to close communication between the outer chamber 26 ofthe casing l0 and the chamber 21. between the seat or ring 24 and the ring M.

The plug valve 25 is substantially of the contour of a bullet tip, the outer end contracting to a point 25a as clearly seen in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The outer surface of the valve is provided with three outwardly projecting radial ribs 251), the upper or outer ends of which are adapted to strike the inner beveled surface Ha of the end wall ll of the casing to limit the outward movement of the valve 25 as well as to provide a clear passage of fluid around said valve and through the tubular discharge l2, while at the same time, serving to centralize the valve within the chamber 26 and to insure proper seating on the surface 240. It is also preferred that the inner or lower end of the valve 25 be provided with a deep recess 25:: which will insure quick and positive action of said valve by the entrance of the fluid into this recess when the bottle is moved into tilted position. The seat or ring 24 is provided adjacent the upper end thereof with a deep circumferential groove 28 in which is mounted two similar semi-circular ring parts 29, preferably of a hard substance which will prevent drilling downwardly through said seat, and in this way, prevent tampering with the attachment.

In certain forms of the device, the upper end of the casing H3 will have its wall flared outwardly as seen at lila to conform with and fit snugly in a similar curvature formed in the open end of a bottle or other container, which is indicated at 32 in. dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing. If

desired, a suitable adhesive or cement may be provided to effect a seat between adjacent walls of the container and said casing ID, or conventional forms of sealing rings may be provided for this purpose. The usual seal and closure cap including a cork or the like may be ar ranged upon the outer end of the container 30 and to envelop the attachment including the discharge end I2 thereof. But, as these structural features form no part of the present invention, they are not shown, and many types of closures suitable for this purpose are in common use.

It is also preferred that the outer wall of the casing ill be provided with an annular groove inwardly of the upper end thereof, preferably so arranged as to register with an outwardly flared portion 30a of the neck of the container so that a spring ring 32'arranged in the groove 3| will act as a lock between the beveled surface of the groove 3! and the flared portion 300. of the bottle, preventing forcible detachment of the casing ID from the bottle. The groove 3i also forms a weakened portion which 'will readily break off subject to excessive force which will cause the lower or inner part of the casing id to drop into the container, making it clearly visible to the purchaser that the bottle has been tampered with.

In the use of the device, if any attempt is made to pass a fluid into the container through the open end I2, the valve 25 will prevent passage of the fluid into the chamber 27. Should the valve 25 be tampered with in any way to cause fluid to enter the chamber 21, the same will be checked in this chamber by action of the element 22 and the valve I8, both of which are inaccess-ible externally of the attachment. As previously stated, any fluid entering the chamber 21 will act'upon the valve 18 or the grooves 20 thereofin the manner heretofore stated.

From the foregoing, it will appear that my improved valve or control device will provide desirable non-refillable characteristics and at the same time provide a device of this type which will permit a relatively free flow or discharge of the contents through the attachment. It is understood that slight changes in the specific structure of the several parts as well as in the arrangement thereof may be made within the scope of my invention, it being understood that the illustration in the accompanying drawing is diagrammatic and very much enlarged as to size in order to provide a clear illustration. By shortening up on the lengths of some of the parts, a materially shorter valve or attachment will be provided and one which will perform the same or substantially the same functions as the device herein disclosed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A discharge device for fluid containers, said device comprising a tubular casing open at opposite ends, a ring type valve seat in the casing intermediate its ends dividing the casing into inner and outer chambers, a valve in each of said chambers, one valve controlling communication between the chambers and the other the communication between the inner chamber and the container, means on said valves forming passages between the same and said casing, a circumferentially grooved tiltable element arranged in the inner chamber and cooperating directly with the valve therein to aid in the movement thereof into closed position, the upper surface of the second named valve having an upwardly directed central part adapted to be engaged by said element and said surface of the valve being recessed around said part.

2. A discharge device for fluid containers, said device comprising a tubular casing open at opposite ends, a ring type valve seat inthe casing intermediate its ends dividing the casing into inner and outer chambers, a valve in each of said chambers, one valve controlling communication between the chambers and the other the communicationbetween the inner chamber and the container, means on said valves forming passages between the same and said casing, a circumferentially grooved tiltable element arranged in the inner chamber and cooperating directly with the valve therein to aid in the movement thereof into closed position, the upper surface of said element being of greater width than the lower surface thereof, said valve seat having an outwardly and downwardly flared bore, the periphery of said valve seat having a deep circumferential groove, and a ring of hard material arranged in said groove.

AUGUSTUS L. ANDERSON. 

